1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing lures. Specifically it relates to fishing lures having safety features to protect the user from becoming injured by the fish hook when the fishing lure is not in use.
2. Description of Related Art
Fishing lures are well known in the art of fishing equipment. They either include, or are used in conjunction with, a fishing hook.
As fishing is an activity for people of all ages, it is inevitable that children will use fishing lures, and accordingly, injuries resulting from the mishandling of fish hooks are common. Ideally therefore, a fishing lure would have its hook exposed only when it is needed to catch fish, that is, when the fishing lure is in the water.
The fishing lure described herein solves this problem by providing a protective shell around the hook of the lure, whereby the protective shell is moved away from the hook by forces acting upon it either when the lure is thrown into the water, or dragged through the water, thereby exposing the hook. The applicants' fishing lure may be used with any conventional fishing equipment, but is particularly suited for use with the Rocket Fishing Rod™ as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,286 to Wyman et al.